BELLINGHAM – Coming into this game, it was known that both teams like to put the ball in the air.
After 10 touchdown passes, it was decided as Meridian defeated Blaine 43-25 at Bob Ames Field on Thursday night.
The Borderites struck first when the sophomore connection of quarterback Connor Brown and wide receiver Isaac Bouma hooked up on a 35-yard touchdown pass.
The Trojans returned the favor on the following drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Trey Alexander to senior tight end Daniel Larsen.
The scoring moved on to the second quarter with Brown hitting senior wide receiver Kai Kerwin on a 43-yard touchdown pass to give Blaine a brief 12-7 lead. However, it was ever so brief as Alexander found junior wide receiver on a 60-yard touchdown pass on the very next play from scrimmage.
It had appeared that it would just go back and forth all night, but an interception on Blaine’s next drive by junior Trevyn Crabtree ended the pendulum from swinging both ways, and the Trojans rode the momentum over the next quarter and a half by scoring the next four touchdowns, as well as a safety.
Alexander connected with junior wide receiver Pierce Brzozowski on a 17-yard touchdown pass, and Meridian held a 21-12 lead at the half.
Larsen caught his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter, and finished with nine receptions for 101 yards.
Junior linebacker Ethan Valich was able to break through the Blaine offensive line and record a safety for the Trojans after sacking Brown in the endzone. The ball would then get kicked right back to the Trojans who proceeded to score again at the end of the quarter on another hookup from Alexander to Brzozowski.
Brown and Kerwin came together for two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, as Kerwin finished with six receptions for a game-high 126 yards and three touchdowns.
Meridian’s final touchdown of the game came in the final period when Alexander dumped it off to his freshman running back Blake Manzer who scampered 14 yards and into the endzone.
Alexander finished with 343 yards passing and he also tied the Whatcom County record with six touchdown passes. Brown was right on his heels with 299 yards and four touchdown tosses.
Although neither team qualified for postseason play, both will still be in action next week as the Trojans (6-3) will host Marysville-Pilchuck (1-7) and the Borderites (2-7) will travel to Lakewood (1-8) to take on the Cougars. Both games will be on Friday night at 7:00.
Meridian 43 Blaine 25 BLA 6 6 0 13 - 25 MER 7 14 15 7 - 43 BLA - I. Bouma 35 pass from C. Brown (kick failed) MER - Larsen 9 pass from T. Alexander (Virk kick) BLA - Kerwin 43 pass from C. Brown (pass failed) MER - Brennan 60 pass from T. Alexander (Virk kick) MER - Brzozowski 17 pass from T. Alexander (Virk kick) MER - Larsen 25 pass from T. Alexander (Virk kick) MER - Safety, Valich tackled C. Brown in endzone MER - Brzozowski 31 pass from T. Alexander (kick blocked) BLA - Kerwin 58 pass from C. Brown (pass failed) MER - Manzer 14 pass from T. Alexander (Virk kick) BLA - Kerwin 10 pass from C. Brown (P. Bouma kick) BLA MER 21-(-9) Rush Att-Yards 13-50 16-35-1 Comp-Att-Int 26-41-1 299 Passing Yards 343 Individual Leaders RUSHING - BLA: Kerwin 1-2, Johannesson 1-0, C. Brown 18-(-11). MER: Strunk 3-13, Pfannenstiel 3-13, Nguyen 1-11, Manzer 2-7, T. Alexander 3-4, Young 1-2. PASSING - BLA: C. Brown 16-35-1-299. MER: T. Alexander 26-41-1-343. RECEIVING - BLA: P. Bouma 8-99, Kerwin 6-126, Candanoza 1-39, I. Bouma 1-35. MER: Larsen 9-101, Brennan 5-121, Brzozowski 3-47, Burgess 3-27, Fisher 2-19, Crabtree 2-12, Manzer 1-14, Pfannenstiel 1-2.
